150,000 people participated in the student protest in Serbia

Approximately 150,000 supporters of the student movement attended a rally in central Belgrade on Thursday, three days before Serbia’s parliamentary elections. The vote could bring an end to more than 14 years of rule by the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), led by Aleksandar Vučić.

The Student List movement, which emerged from protests sparked by the collapse of the roof at the Novi Sad railway station, aims to win the elections. The tragedy in November 2024 claimed 16 lives, and critics blamed corruption and official negligence.

Rally participants called for a Serbia free of corruption and mafia influence. The movement’s candidates spoke about freedom, justice and equality before the law. Polls indicate a close race between the Student List and Vučić’s coalition.

Civil society groups denounce intimidation, arrests and the abusive use of public resources during the campaign. Aleksandar Vučić, who resigned as president and leads the “Aleksandar Vučić – United Serbia” list, suggested that European institutions and foreign embassies were trying to remove his political formation from power.